Opinion: Site C: Too risky to rely on one river system for B.C.’s hydro needs

In the face of a prolonged drought, water levels at Lake Mead, the giant reservoir that straddles the Nevada and Arizona borders, are lower than at any point since the Hoover Dam was built in the 1930s.

For residents in California, Nevada, Arizona and northern Mexico, a crisis looms. What alternative drinking water sources are there for millions of people? How many farms may fail? What will replace the “reliable” hydroelectric power that the Hoover and other dams once produced?

You might not expect it, but even here in rainy B.C., we may soon face similar questions.

As BC Hydro continues preparations for Site C — a third major dam on the Peace River and the single-most-expensive megaproject in the province’s history — there are cautionary lessons for us in events south of the border.